San Giovanni in Fiore

The history of San Giovanni in Fiore is closely linked to Joachim of Fiore, a mystic and penitent abbot, who founded the Monasterium Florense here in 1189. After approval by Celestine III in 1196, his monastic order spread throughout Calabria. In the first half of the 16th century, an initial settlement arose around the monastery, which gradually grew over the following centuries.

Today, San Giovanni Fiore is a large centre known not only for its splendid Florense abbey, but also for its tradition of wood and wrought iron craftsmanship, and for the production of hand-knotted Armenian carpets. The objects related to traditional handicraft techniques are part, together with other testimonies of local history and culture, of the collection of the Demological Museum of the Economy, Labour and Social History of Silesia.